The present invention relates to an image-forming apparatus incorporating both a static-document reading section and a dynamic-document reading section, and specifically relates to an image-reading apparatus which can prevent a leakage of exposing light emitted from a reading lamp when opening an automatic document feeder of the dynamic-document reading section, and an image-forming apparatus incorporating the image-reading apparatus.
The image-reading apparatus, serving as an independent scanner or incorporated in a facsimile, a copier, etc., has been used for reading an image formed on a document, such as a paper, a film, etc., to output electronic signals of the image. Image-reading apparatuses having an image-reading mechanism, in which exposing light is irradiated onto the document to read the image by detecting light reflected from the objective image, have been widely proliferated in the market. In the independent scanner, the digital data read from the image are stored, to make it possible to edit or reuse them, while in the copier, a reproduced image is formed on a new paper, film, etc., based on the digital data read from the image.
Now, the image-reading apparatus will be detailed in the following, referring to an exemplified copier equipped with an automatic document reading mechanism.
The copier, equipped with the automatic document reading mechanism, comprises a static-document reading section in which an image-reading section, moving under the platen glass, reads an image from the document put stationary on a platen glass; an automatic document feeder for feeding the document; and a dynamic-document reading section in which the image-reading section, stopped at a fixed position, reads the image from the document being fed to the fixed position by the automatic document feeder.
When making a copy with the automatic document reading mechanism, the document is set on the automatic document feeder to read the document while automatically feeding the document. On the other hand, when making a copy with the static-document reading section, the document is set on the platen glass, and a platen cover, serving as a pressing means, is covered on the document to fix the document. It has been inconvenient, however, for the user to operate the abovementioned copier, since the platen cover and the automatic document feeder of the dynamic-document reading section are integrated into one body, resulting in the heavy weight of the platen cover. In addition, since the user opens and shuts the automatic document feeder of the dynamic-document reading section every time when putting the document on the platen glass and covering the platen cover, the shocks incurred on the automatic document feeder could cause malfunctions of the automatic document feeder.
To overcome the abovementioned drawback, it has been considered another structure of the copier, in which the platen cover is separated from the automatic document feeder of the dynamic-document reading section, so that, when making a copy from the document put on the platen glass, the user can operate the platen cover only, separately from the automatic document feeder, to push the document on the platen glass.
There have been the following problems, however, in the abovementioned copier in which the platen cover and the dynamic-document reading section can be separately operated.
Namely, in the dynamic-document reading section, the automatic document feeder for feeding the document and the light source mechanism for irradiating light to read the document are opposed each other with a document reading window located between them, and the document reading window is formed in the vicinity of the platen glass of the static-document reading section. Accordingly, when reading the document with the static-document reading section, sometimes, the light of the lamp, disposed in the light source mechanism for reading the document, leaks outside through the document reading window.
In such cases, various inconveniences have happened in such manners that, for instance, the wall or surroundings are abruptly illuminated with unnecessary light leaked from the lamp, or very strong light beams of the lamp abruptly penetrate into eyes of the operator or a person near the copier, etc.